Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-11-21
THE NATIONS CAPITAL.
Bayard'S Fishery Commission and Its
Members.
Model Newspaper Men and the English
Commission. Notes.


The members of the British fisheries com
mission were formally presented to the
President Saturday They were received in
the private library adjoining the Cabinet
room. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain and Sir
Charles Upper were introduced by Secre
tary Bayard and Sir Lionel 5. West per-
formed the same duty for the other members
of the party. No addresses were made and
the occasion was devoid of formalitv.
On Monday the secretary expects that the
sessions of the commission will begin, al
though there may be a delay of a few days.
The meetings will be held from day to day
in the large reception room of the depart
ment. The number of meetings and hours
are to be decided hereafter.
The work of the commission is expected
to be finished in few weeks, probably be-
fore the meeting of Congress Whatever
the result. it will be made known to the SEN
ate through the President At the sugges-
ton of the Administration, an effort will be
made by the Secretary of State and Messrs.
Putnam aud Angel, who have been chosen
to act with him, to secure an agreement, by
which the makeshifts of the past shall be
superseded by thoroughly understood in
terpretation of the rights respectively. of
the Dominion of Canada and the lnited
States. The method of securing these rights
will be to discuss the positions of the gov
ernments of Great Britain and the United
States. and it is expected that this govern
ment will maintain that Great Britain could
concede no rights of navigation and fisheries
but that they were common. within interha-
tional limits, to all the waters of both eoun-
/ tries. 1t remains to be decided whether any
other questions, such As that of the disputed
jurisdiction of Behring Sea, shall be taken
up.
Mr. Putnam, who is one of the American
commissioners. said it was his desire, and he
thought that the other American commission
ers shared the desire. that the whole matter
should be gotten through with as soon as
possible as it is desirable that the treaty.
if one be forthcoming. shall be submitted
to the Senate for approval at the earliest
possible moment.
Mr. Chamberlain held unique reception
at his rooms in his Reverdy johnson mansion
late Yesterday afternoon. He announced
through one of his secretaries, in the morn
ing newspapers. that he would receive any
new spaper men who might desire to talk
with him. Twenty -one correspondents and
reporters assembled in response to this invi-
tation Mr.. Chamberlain, in carrying out
his idea of how the representatives of the
press should be treated. had table spread
with liquors, appollnaris and cigars.
Promptly at ) O'Clock he entered, shook
hands with his guests, and invited them to
smoke and drink Some of them smoked.
but none of them drank. Then he told
them that he ready to answer any qnes-
tions that might be asked. He seemed not
only affabIe, but frank, but the net results of
the examination which followed were not so
full as could have been desired.
In response to the questions Mr.. Chamber
laid said in substance that the British com
misssioners hoped to reach permanent set
tlement of all the questions at issue between
the nited States and Great Britain respect
ing Canada, including the Pacific as well as
the Atlantic coast. and everything between.
Ii was not the purpose of the commissioners
to copstrue the treaty of 1918. or any other
treaty. but to conclude a new convention
which would make permanent and honor
able settlement. He thought the instruction,
under which they were TO act were broad
enough to enable them to negotiate a treaty
covering as much as the treaty of 1854.
Assistant Secretary Culdrow today affirm
ed the decision of the commissioner of the
general land office in the case of the New
Orleans Land and Banking Company agains
the state of Louisiana, holding that tht
French grant, under which the forme1
claimed title, was a complete grant, needing
no confirmation and that it is the duty of th'
department to cause an additional and cor
receive survey to he made. exhibiting th'
location of the grant and close the lines o
survey of contiguous public land upon tn
lines of the grant.
The President today appointed George 5
, , Rivers of New York to be assistant secretar.
of state and Robert J. Bowie to be specia
examiner of drugs, medicines and chemical
in the district of San Francisco.
: Secretary Whitney is fast recovering an
will soon attend to his duties.